Jarvis Landry is having a great week, regardless of where things stand with free agency. (AP)

LAKE BUENA VISTA—This is a really good time to be Jarvis Landry. Really, really good.

No matter how much his pending free agency seems to be getting bogged down with the Dolphins, he’s 25, he’s surrounded by family and friends at Pro Bowl week and this phase of his career ultimately ends with him hauling in more money than he’s ever seen in his life.

He’s not stressed. He’s happy.

“I am,” he told The Post after this morning’s AFC practice. “Have you not been seeing the pictures lately? I’m smiling… This is the most important thing to me right now, and everything else will work itself out.”

This is in line with Landry’s attitude throughout the situation. When the team didn’t extend him a year ago, he shrugged it off and went to work. Going into this season without the security of a long-term deal, he was at peace.

Now, with about a month and a half until he reaches the enviable position of being able to hit the open market, he’s not going to let that be anything but positive.

If he returns to the Dolphins, great. That’s what he wants. If not, there are compelling alternatives all around the league.

“Not even so much about the possibilities, but just excited about the process and what God has been doing in my life and the blessing that’s coming,” Landry said. “It’s really put me at peace in my life. That’s really all I can say.

“Guys around here, a couple former players, just talking and chatting and, truthfully, there’s no easy way to get through this process, but at the same time, I’m understanding that what lies ahead is far greater than what has come. That’s the beautiful part about it.”

What lies ahead is a scenario in which the worst-case outcome is he gets a $14-16 million paycheck, which is what the Dolphins would pay if they use the transition or franchise tag. Otherwise, he’s looking at a long-term deal possibly worth a total of $60 million.

It’s a really, really, really good time to be Jarvis Landry.

The resolution Landry wants most is a new contract with the Dolphins, and he’s made no secret of that. While the organization hedges at every turn and says things like, “You can’t keep them all,” to quote vice president Mike Tannenbaum, he’s been saying for a year that he wants to be part of its future. He doesn’t consider negotiating leverage when he says that. He’s just telling the truth.

That loyalty means something given how much he wants to be part of a winner and how far away from that status the Dolphins (30-34) have been during his tenure.

“I love Miami,” Landry said. “I love the City of Miami. I love everything about it—the coaching staff, the fans. I was drafted there.

“In any ideal situation, just like with you, you work for The Palm Beach Post. If you’re happy being there and you’re compensated the way you’re supposed to be for the amount of work that you do, then wouldn’t you want to stay there?”

Miami safety Reshad Jones, also a Pro Bowler, said Landry seems at ease about free agency.

“I think it’ll work out for him,” he said. “Hopefully the Dolphins make it happen here pretty soon, but he’s a great player and I think everything will work out for him.”

Landry added that he has no doubt coach Adam Gase wants him back, and Gase has previously referred to Landry as the best offensive player on the team. Hard to argue after Landry racked up 400 catches, 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns in his first four seasons. Last season, despite Miami’s brutally bad quarterback play, he set a franchise record with 112 receptions, had 987 yards and scored a career-best nine touchdowns.

Gase’s most recent comments, though, centered on Landry’s “embarrassing” ejection from the season finale and saying the team will “look at the body of work” as it ascertains how it will handle his free agency.

Then there was the issue of in-house criticism of Landry’s play and conduct leaking to the media this month, though the Dolphins say it didn’t come from them. Landry’s agent, Damarius Bilbo, said he was “alarmed” by what he perceived as disrespect toward his client and the negotiating process.

Landry surely didn’t like it, either, but he’s not holding a grudge and said his relationship with Dolphins management is good now.

“I know so,” he said. “It’s always been healthy conversations, but even in healthy conversations you have moments where you have to tell each other things or say things to get on the same page. It’s called communication. That’s all this whole process is really gonna be about and has been about.”

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About the Authors

Jason Lieser has covered sports in Chicago, New Orleans and now South Florida

Joe Schad is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post who covers the Miami Dolphins. He previous covered sports for ESPN, the Orlando Sentinel and Newsday.

After 19 years as a sports writer, copy editor and assistant sports editor at The Miami Herald, Hal Habib joined The Palm Beach Post's sports department in 1998. Areas of coverage range from the Olympics, Kentucky Derby and Super Bowl to local sports.